New Zealand Bellbird

Anthornis melanura

Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand - November 2005

Bellbirds are one of the commonest native birds in New Zealand.

Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand - November 2005

Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand - November 2005

Bellbirds are part of the honeyeater family. As the familial name suggests, they survive mainly on a diet of nectar, which they extract from flowers with the aid of their long tongues (visible in the photo below).

Tiritiri Matangi Island, New Zealand - November 2005

On Tiritiri Matangi, where the population density is quite high, the ringing bell-notes from which the Bellbird got it's name give the dawn chorus a unique character.